The Web - Winter Closing In
by Lovecraft
Summary: Sequel to Borne Of The Fall. The crossover becomes even more entangled when familiar faces of the Kindred appear and strange things happen to our five heroes.
1. Letter To Logan

Disclaimer:

I don't own Jubilee or Logan. If I did, it wouldn't be half as ugly as what Marvel has done to them or will do in the future. But hey, that's life.

This is written in the spirit of a round robin deal that had been happening on WolverineandJubilee.com, way back when. Letters were being written from certain places with Wolverine and Jubilee being both writer and recipient. At the time, I figured it would work with what I had planned. This is a letter from Jubilee to Logan, a product of a cooler head and an aching heart, a young woman reaching out to a would-be father and asking him to let go so she can learn to live for herself.

And so begins, The Web - Winter Closing In

_ Logan,_

Hi. Bet you didn't think you'd hear from me, huh? To be honest, I'd be surprised if you're reading this right now. I wouldn't doubt it if you just ripped it up and forget all about me. But on the off-chance... 

I'm sending this out from Detroit, Michigan, though it's not where I'll end up, so don't bother going there to look. Just passing through, as it were. And I'd really hate to think you aren't respecting my need for privacy and all that. I need some 'me time'. You know all about that, huh? 

A lot of stuff has been happening, things you wouldn't believe. I'm not even sure I believe it, though I'm the one living it. I just wanted to tell you I'm alive, I guess. You've probably been doubting that, given your history with Creed. Hell, even given my history with Creed. But don't worry about it, it's part of that whole things changing deal. I've changed, he's changed. 

I'm not the little girl you helped raise, Logan, and even then I wasn't a little girl waiting to grow up. I'd already dealt with so much that I was more of an adult than the X-Men could handle and that's when the charade began. Everyone expected me to be a kid, ya know? So I played the part for them. 

You were one of the only ones that let me, in even the slightest ways, grow. You taught me how to defend myself, take someone else down, and be scary enough to make someone else back off before having to fight. You wanted me to be responsible, so I showed you responsibility. You wanted me to be strong, so I never backed down. You wouldn't believe the bitching Frost's done about having to break down everything I learned with you so I could be re-taught "properly". As if. 

I don't regret being there for you, Logan. When you had need, I'd try to help. Being "the kid" meant that I could go with impunity where others couldn't. It also meant not having the ability to comfort you in some of the ways you needed, so I'm glad you had other people to go to. 

Your "you time" isn't something I'd try to deny you any more than you'd deny me my "me time". It's important that you try to find yourself and getting away from the hands that would shape you is the only way to do that. I understand that I've helped to shape you just as much as you've helped to shape me. I have wondered if you ever realized that we are a product of each other. I just have the added bonus of never being able to get out from beneath the X-Men's hands. 

I've been molded so many times, Logan, that I've almost forgotten who I am. I've reinvented myself for so many people, I've almost lost touch with the reasons for it. All I have right now is the sense that something isn't right with me because I'm not being true to you, my teachers, my friends, and most importantly, to myself. 

I have to go out into the world now and find me. This is a letter to let you know that, when I finally do find myself, I'd like you to meet me. An open channel of communication, as Oprah would say. 

Give this letter time to sink in. God knows I've had to think long and hard about what I've wanted to say because I was so angry at you and them and me. Complicated little bit of self-hatred in a way. I've had to work over that anger. I guess it's one of the reasons I couldn't pick up the phone, I was afraid to say something I didn't mean. 

I just... I want you to really think about what you want from me and what you think I should want for myself. Please know that I still care about you. 

Jubilation Lee 


	2. She Thinks It's Fun To Have No Remorse

_ Disclaimers: _

I don't own Jubilee, Sabretooth, the X-Men, or Generation X. I'm borrowing them for my own nefarious devices. Marvel owns them and tortures them (and their readers) more than I ever could. 

I don't own Asher or any characters within the Anita Blake universe. I humbly bow down before the almighty Laurell K Hamilton, for she is a goddess.

I don't own Methos or any characters within the Highlander universe, I believe Rysher does. Rysher scares me, so I wouldn't dare infringe upon their copyrights.

The idea behind the links is a concept adapted from L.J. Smith's Dark Visions Trilogy. L.J. Smith is a goddess among writers for young adult fiction. I bow down before her.

Kora is an original character, so I do own her. Please don't use her unless you ask and recieve permission. (By me, people. Don't get smart.) Not that any of you would want to borrow her. Sheesh.  
Also included in this already mind boggling crossover, Kindred: The Embraced. Rysher or Universal, or whoever is claiming Kindred owns Kindred. I do not claim Kindred, therefore Kindred is not mine. Even if I did claim Kindred, it's still not mine. I'm sure the owners of Kindred are laughing in my face for that. =P

# 

Title of Series: The Web - Winter Closing In

Part One

"She Thinks It's Fun To Have No Remorse"

**CREED**

*Duuuuuude.* 

Hmm. From the amount of awe pouring off of her, you'd think she'd never seen a mansion before. 

*Are we staying _there_? Dope!* 

Jae makes a mad dash up the stairs, probably to find the biggest room and call dibs. How the fuck can she have that much energy after being in the car for so long? I've been standing for five minutes and I still haven't straightened my spine out. 

Adam, excuse me, Peter as he's calling himself now, stumbles up beside me. *Did you get her the decaff on that last Quickie-Mart stop?* 

*Yeah, but she switched with you.* 

Peter Shale, Methos's latest incarnation, blinks at me in shock. *You saw that and you didn't say anything!?* I shrug. If he didn't notice, why should I say anything? *Well, that would explain why I kept falling asleep in that last stretch. And the weird taste. I thought that was just cheap coffee.* 

Asher comes up beside us, the light of an almost full moon shining down on him like some cosmic spotlight. It's about eleven at night and he looks the most awake out of all of us. Kore's still asleep in the back seat of the van. *I'll wake Kore up and we can scout out which rooms we'd prefer.* 

I grunt and nod, shouldering a duffel bag containing the most basic of necessities, two guns, a grenade, and the number of an all-night Chinese delivery place Jae had pulled out of a telephone book after a gas up an hour and a half ago. 

*Holy... I found my room. Guys, get in here! You have to see this. It's furbished and everything!* 

Peter rolls his eyes, grabs his coat, discretely hidden sword, and a backpack filled with books, and moves up to the front door. *It's not all that gre-... Never mind. Is that _gold_ in the trim?* 

*Yeah. My realtor said the old lady who owned this place was loopy. She left a lot of weird shit here when she died. Said she was anti-social.* 

*Anti-social doesn't _begin_ to describe this room. This... this is decore!* 

This time, I'm the one who rolls his eyes. Ash and Kore make it into the main hall, Kore looking a little wilted around the edges. She's still getting over the first thirty-seven hours of no sleep from when we started this trip. She thought the surroundings were so fucking interesting that she just had to stay up and watch. After the first fourteen hours, she'd looked like a junkie detoxing. By the first twenty-four hours, she'd looked mostly dead. By thirty hours, she was so high on sleep deprivation, she was vibrating. Jubilee had helpfully plied her with coffee in an effort to continue her sleep-fast. Once the caffeine crash hit, Kora passed out. Maybe now that she doesn't have a moving bed she'll be able to make up for the lost sleep. 

We all travel up one set of stairs to the top floor. One of the main reasons I chose this house was because it wasn't tall, but wide. A neat half circle, the front was almost completely flat with a slight inward curving where the door was. This curving was only present for the first floor and petered out into a flat edge by the second floor. The rounded area that went around to the backyard was all heavily tinted glass that could be covered with sliding steel. It made me wonder about the species of the woman living here. 

The strangest thing about the construction of the building was the layout of the bedrooms. There is a set of stairs in the front of the house on each side of the front door. From the left staircase, we go to the second floor follow the hallway along the windows. There are two doors on the curved wall before a straight hallway leading down to a wall that is the main support of a completely round room. The hallway splits in two and then converges together once the circular room is out of the way. On the other side of the hallway is two more doors to two more bedrooms. 

Jae pokes her head out of the door of the circular room. *Guys, this is _so_ Ash in here.* 

**ASHER**

I do have to admit, the room is nice. It's fairly large and the white walls are covered in what looks to be sheer crimson drapes. Florescent lights follow the outer rim of the room and cast away all the shadows. A large poster bed sits on a raised dais with tall, narrow dressers and tables placed around the room. There are no windows or closets here. The previous owner was probably a vampire who used this as a day room. 

*If no one objects, I'll be happy to take the room.* 

Everyone shakes their heads at me, all probably assuming that this would be the safest room for me to take the room furthest from the windows. I go to the bed and drop my luggage bag on the bed. I'll bring my coffin in from the van as soon as I do some redecorating. The bed and furniture have got to go. 

*Anyway, this is the room y'all gotta see ta believe!* Jae grabs Kore's hand and drags her out of the room and down the right side of the hall. She opens the first door on the right and steps back with a flourish. 

*Oh.* 

*My.* 

*Gods.* 

There's a moment of awkward silence before Kore finally takes a step into the room. She almost trips on her first step, but she quickly gets the hang of stepping on the soft floor. *Is everything supposed to be padded?* 

Creed groans. *Let me guess, this is the room you want?* 

Jae nods happily. *It's perfect! Check this out.* She walks over to the bed, all mattress and no frame, and bounces on it. Then against the wall, and back to the bed. At least there's no way to hurt herself in here. 

*I feel like I've been transported to an insane asylum.* Peter's rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand as though to make sure he's awake and actually seeing what he thinks he sees. 

Jae giggles happily as she continues her bouncing. *If the cherie wishes to have this room, I believe we should leave it to her.* To be honest, I don't think anyone else would have slept in it anyway. Jae jumps up to hug me when no one contests my words. 

*Let's go see what else there is for the rest of you!* Jubilee grins and walks back out the door and into the long hallway. 

**JUBILEE**

Must remain calm. Must not start laughing. Might not be able to stop. Might bust a gut or something equally important. Must try not to focus on the expression on their faces when they saw my long, padded room. That really was great, though. Total Kodak moment! 

We opt to continue going to the right, as there's only one more door there before the staircase. I throw the door open and peek in. 

*It's mine.* 

Whoa, never seen Creed get that possessive over anything except his grenades. Yeesh, the way he pushes me out of the way to get into the room is just downright rude. Although, if I had been him, I woulda probably claimed it up real fast. 

The room's not as long as mine, but it is wider and it doesn't curve inward to give way for the hallways that circle Ash's new room. The carpet's plush, the walls are clean, and there's a huge television/stereo system taking up the wall opposite the bed, a long and tall captain's bed with drawers underneath it's mattress. A dvd player, Playstation, and tape deck are the room's only other decorations. 

I never really figured Vic for a technology junkie. Weirder things have happened, though. Honestly, I shouldn't be surprised. He pulled a cd case that dwarfed my puny 24 cd carrier and pumped the strangest jams every time he got to drive. ...Which reminds me of how I only got to drive two times the whole four days we traveled cross-country. Hmm. 

*Well, as long as that's settled.* Peter raises an eyebrow at Vic, who simply grunts and puts his bag on the bed. *I'm going down the other side to see what's left.*

**METHOS**

I'd prefer the room closest to the stairs, seeing as there doesn't appear to be a bathroom up here. Who on earth would build a house for this many people with only two bathrooms, both of which downstairs? 

The moment I open the door, I'm in heaven. One whole wall is covered in _books_. The layout of the room is about the opposite of Vic's, but without the bulky television, it somehow seems larger. There's a single mirror hanging beside the door and a plain metal-framed bed furthest in the corner furthest from the door. Beside the bed, across from the room-length, ceiling to floor bookshelves, is a wood desk. 

*I've got the room opposite Vic's.* 

They crowd in at my door to see what I got. Asher chuckles lightly while Jubilee wrinkles her nose at the books. Yeah, well, she apparently thinks padded walls are ideal, so screw her decorating tips. 

*That leaves one more room for Kore.* Vic moves to the next room over, closest to the center hallway and opposite Jubilee. He opens the door and gestures Kore in. 

The room looks bigger than Jubilee's, probably because it lacks the foot of padding from the walls and ceiling. It's brightly lit by florescent lights and grow-lamps. It's slightly humid with plants covering every inch of wall that isn't a panel of mirror. A planter moves from the open side of the door, along the curved wall, to the side where my room would be. It's tall and thick enough to be used as a sitting area where the plants aren't creeping over the edge. Looking in closer, I see a black irrigation hose that's probably kept the plants watered since the house was emptied. 

*Uh, Kore? If you want us to redecorate...* Vic's eyeing the place with a dubious expression. 

*Why? I think it's nice.* Kore moves to the bed at the far end of the room and sits down, giggling when the bed moves under her. Must be a waterbed. It's then that I notice a wooden door across from the bed. 

*Does that door lead to the hallway by Asher's room?* 

Vic looks over at the door. *Might be to the bathroom.* 

*Wait, there's a bathroom up here?* I think my jaw has fallen open, so I audibly snap it shut. 

*O' course. Who'd put this many bedrooms up here without a bathroom?* Now he's eyeballing me dubiously, as though wondering if I'd lost my bloody marbles. 

I scowl at him. *How do we get to the bathroom?* 

He shrugs. *Down the hallway and round Ash's room would be my guess. I bet there's a door at the other end of the hallway there.* 

I leave Kore's new room and walk down the hallway, past Ash's door and around to the other side, where there is indeed a door. Upon opening the door, I find a T-shaped bathroom. A toilet is on the left side, in back of Jubilee's room, the sink right in front of the door, and a large whirlpool sunken into the area just beyond Kore's door. 

*I hope there's a bloody shower downstairs.*

**KORA**

Everyone goes back out to the van to get their belongings, except Victor. He goes into the kitchen to find a phone. He orders dinner to be delivered as Ash and Peter pull Ash's coffin out of the van's trunk. 

It wasn't the one he normally uses, he told us. He'll have to buy a new one for that, but it is the one he uses to travel because it's smaller and easier to transport. He also says that he could lift it by himself, but because of the length it would just be awkward to carry upstairs. 

Peter grumbles the entire trip up to the second floor. 

*Hey Vic, see if you can get the delivery guy to bring a paper.* 

I hear Victor mutter into the phone as I pass by with my suitcase and backpack. *It'll be here in about forty minutes.*

*Cool.* 

I frown as I look around my room. There's really no place to put clothes. I guess I'll just have to leave it in the suitcase at the foot of my bed for now. *I think I'll need a dresser.* 

*Come take a look in my room, ma cherie, and see if any of the furniture in here appeals to you. I was going to get rid of all this stuff anyway.* 

I nod in Ash's general direction and send an okay. *I'll do it later though. I haven't seen the rest of the house yet.* 

I go down the stairs and meet the front door. If I go straight and veer to the left slightly, I'll reach the kitchen where Victor's still stalking around and checking out the drawers. 

I go to the direct left and reach a large entertainment area. On the right side of the room is a long dining table with chairs. The room is divided by a series of curved couches, planters, and a fireplace. The windows are just beyond the couches and overlook the backyard. I move to the door on the left side of the room. It's a short hallway with one bathroom on the left and a pool room on the right. Just beyond the bathroom is a door that leads back to the main hall and the staircases. 

What an odd house.

**METHOS**

Mmm. The delivery guy's here. I can smell the food already. 

I make my way to the kitchen where Kore, Jae, and Vic have already congregated. I sit down at the table with a plate clutched in my hands, waiting for the cartons to be opened. Ash walks in just as we all sigh in appreciation over the scents. 

Vic's the first to start in on the Mongolian beef, so I take the lemon chicken. Jae's dumping fried rice onto her plate while Kore's staring at the eggrolls with fascination. 

*You eat it, Kore. Not stare at it.* 

She blinks at me, then obediently takes a bite. Then she smiles brightly and tosses the rest of it into her mouth. I grab one before she decides to eat them all. 

*Hey Ash, do ya need ta feed tonight?* Jae's watching Asher while stuffing chow mein into her mouth. 

Ash shakes his head and smiles. *No. Last night from Victor was well enough.* 

Jae shrugs and dips into the dumplings. 

*Mmm. Try the hot n' sour soup.* Vic hands me the container of soup and a mug. 

I pour the soup, take a sip, and close my eyes in bliss. 

*Hey, don't hog it all.* I hold the soup out to Jae who takes it with a grunt of appreciation. 

*I like this.* Kore's holding up a bright red Peking spare rib with her fork, then biting into it. Ash moans his appreciation of the little rib as Kore enjoys it.

**JUBILEE**

*I'm _so_ full.* I'm not whimpering. I'm quietly keening. 

We've all retired to the couches by the windows. We've got a damn big backyard, that's for sure. Trees and shrubs and more trees. The surrounding land isn't as big as Xavier's, and the neighbors are certainly closer, but I think this place is hella nice all on it's own. 

I pull out the Classified section of the newspaper and start searching. 

*Whatcha lookin' for, Jae?* 

Creed comes and looks over my shoulder. *I need transportation. Seein' if there's anything I find interesting.* 

Creed nods. *Gimme a page.* I hand him the one with the trucks for sale. 

Peter wanders over. *A car?* 

*Not if I'm lucky.* I'm searching for a particular something. See, I'll never be able to fly like Storm or Rogue, but maybe I can fly in another way. 

Creed raises his eyebrow and points out a Geo Tracker. *Ew, man. They're, like, totally gutless.* Something about Vic's expression makes me think that was the point. 

Oh. Oh! I think I've found it! *_Perfecto!_* I check the address. Waitaminute. *Vic, what's our street again?* 

*Huh? Crescent Way. Why? Whatja find?* 

*Whoa. Oh, never mind that. I need to use the phone. Kitchen, right?* Vic nods at me and I hop to the kitchen, literally. I feel Ash and Kore laughing in my head.

**ASHER**

*You do realize that it's almost midnight? The owner of your would-be vehicle might not appreciate your call.* 

*Pish. They shouldn't leave their number in the paper if they don't expect weirdoes to call at weird hours.* 

Jae turns her attention from me and back to the phone. 

Vic snorts. *Watch them hang up on her.* 

We wait a moment, listening for the tell-tale squeal of indignation that would surely rise when the phone was hung up in her ear. The moment leads into another, and then another. All we really hear is Jae talking with quiet excitement, still trying to keep her vehicle a surprise. 

I wonder if it will be one of those rolling Wiener-mobiles. It would explain the mysterious air about the whole deal, not to mention the tastes that girl has. Her room? Ick. I'd go, well, insane if I had to sleep in there. Jae? She just thinks it's fun. 

Ten minutes later, Jae walks out to greet us, a bright smile on her face. *I'm gonna head over there tomorrow around seven in the evening and get me m'wheels. I'll need to stop at a bank and get me some cash.* 

Peter tilts his head at Jae. *Do you even have money?* 

*Yup. I toldja, Frosty gave me a license, credit card, bank card, social security card. I'm all set!* She grins even brighter at us. In a few moments, she will most certainly be incandescent. 

*Ya know how much she has put away for you?* Vic's watching her with weary eyes. I wonder if he caught the Wiener-mobile thought. I could just see him trying to park one of his muscle cars next to that. 

*Knowing her? She emptied my old account into the new one and added a couple thousand.* 

*Will that be enough for what you want to buy?* 

Jubilee starts glowing at me. *Should be. You can always pick up the rest if I can't, right?* 

Vic just grumbles at her.

**CREED**

*That's it. I'm going to bed.* I stand up, stretch, and walk my way out to the staircases. 

Everyone else is agreeing with my sentiments and following. Gee, I've always wanted to be a team leader. What a dream come true. Not. 

*Jae? I'm not going to end up draggin' yer ass all over town, am I?* Jae blows me a raspberry. 

*Nah. Like I said, get me to the bank and back and I'll be happy. I'll take it from there.* 

Peter looks up sharply. *You sure?* 

Jae nods happily. *Yeah, the owner's pretty local.* 

*I think I'll take a bath before I go to sleep.* Kore's lookin' a little spacey. 

*Don't drown in there.* ...Sure, it's not the nicest things I could have said, but it's the thought that counts, right? 

Kore giggles at me and waves a negligent hand as she moves past me to go to her room. *Okay.* 

Jae rolls her eyes and disappears into her room. The moment her door closes, I can hear a muffled, "WEE!" 

And people think _I'm_ strange. 

I'm finally laying back in my room, my luggage kindly placed on the floor beside my bed, probably by Ash because Peter doesn't strike me as the self-less type and the stuff's probably too heavy for Jae or Kore. 

I hear a mental yawn and a sleepy, *G'night Kore. G'night Ash. G'night Vic. G'night Petey.* 

*Peter, brat.* 

*G'night Peter-brat.* 

I chuckle aloud. *Yeah, yeah. Good night, John-boy, and all that crap. Now shut it.* 

I get a mental raspberry for my efforts.


	3. Jubilee's Interlude

_ Disclaimers: _

I don't own Jubilee, Sabretooth, the X-Men, or Generation X. I'm borrowing them for my own nefarious devices. Marvel owns them and tortures them (and their readers) more than I ever could. 

I don't own Asher or any characters within the Anita Blake universe. I humbly bow down before the almighty Laurell K Hamilton, for she is a goddess.

I don't own Methos or any characters within the Highlander universe, I believe Rysher does. Rysher scares me, so I wouldn't dare infringe upon their copyrights.

The idea behind the links is a concept adapted from L.J. Smith's Dark Visions Trilogy. L.J. Smith is a goddess among writers for young adult fiction. I bow down before her.

Kora is an original character, so I do own her. Please don't use her unless you ask and recieve permission. (By me, people. Don't get smart.) Not that any of you would want to borrow her. Sheesh.  
Also included in this already mind boggling crossover, Kindred: The Embraced. Rysher or Universal, or whoever is claiming Kindred owns Kindred. I do not claim Kindred, therefore Kindred is not mine. Even if I did claim Kindred, it's still not mine. I'm sure the owners of Kindred are laughing in my face for that. =P

# 

Title of Series: The Web - Winter Closing In

Jubilee's Interlude

"One Step Closer To The Edge"

By the time I wake up, it's nearly two in the afternoon. Heh, I must have been channeling Ash an' his sloth-like sleepin' habits. 

A quick hop downstairs shows the bathroom, with shower, to be empty. I dump my clothes on the floor and close the door behind me, then turn the water on. 

Oh, this is gonna feel so good! I haven't been able to get a real shower in forever! Well, four days. But it feels like forever when you're in an enclosed area with four equally unbathed neighbors. Can you say, "Ick!"? 

*So where is everyone?* I get into the hot shower and nearly melt. This is better than an orgasm. 

*Ash is asleep, Peter's out getting groceries, and I'm teaching Kore how to play pool.* 

*Awesome. Who's takin' my happy ass down to the bank?* Ah, the sweet, sweet scent of shampoo. 

*I will. Peter's been goin' on and on about the traffic and the parking. He just won't shut the hell up! If I have to listen to any more, I'm gonna go postal.* 

I pause before rinsing. *And this would deviate from your normal behavioral patterns how?* 

It's Vic's turn to pause as he takes in a sentence most people wouldn't have thought I could form. *Funny. Keep it up and you can walk.* 

*You know, I'm perfectly capable of driving myself. I have a license and everything.* Okay, I know I didn't actually _test_ for the license, but still! 

*I ain't leavin' you with our only mode of transportation. If you wanna go out and crash something, let it be whatever you buy tonight.* 

I send Vic a mental raspberry and reach for the travel-size conditioner I brought with me.

**~*~**

*God, it's great being back on the west coast.* 

I stretch in the van, at much as I'm able too. It's actually not that hard, seeing as how I've had some fairly constant practice in the last few days. 

Vic glances at me from the driver's side. *Whatja miss? The smell of dead shit in the air? The idiots who can't drive? The exorbitant prices only a tourist could happily pay?* 

*Dude, ya said Peter was bitchin'?* 

Three... two... one... *GROWL* 

I grab onto the arm rest as Creed makes a sharp right turn into the parking lost and sets about patrolling the area for a parking space. 

Seven minutes later, a place appears. Creed guns the engine and zooms over, only to be thwarted by some little old Asian lady treating a Volkswagen Rabbit like a race car. The only thing that saves that little old Asian lady from certain disembowelment is me pointing out another car backing up. 

This time, Creed out races the old diesel pulling in, but finds himself in a slight problem. The space is made for compact cars. *Uh, Vic? Maybe we should-* 

*Shuddap.* Creed backs up, turns the wheel, then moves forward, repeating as necessary. By the time he's finished, we're parked. Unfortunately, neither one of us can open our doors. 

Sighing, I grab my mini-pack, climb into the middle bench, then into the back, and finally into the trunk area. *Pop the trunk.* Creed growls something obscene, *I don't think I'm that flexible.* but complies. I stumble out of the trunk and wait for Creed to come out behind me. Five minutes later, with some ungainly face-plants, he finally finds his way out. 

'Must resist snickering. Will be gutted for snickering.' Creed glares at me, to which I answer with wide, innocent eyes. 

When we step into the bank lobby, my mini-pack hanging off of one shoulder, we find the line inside as bad as the parking out. Creed starts in front of me and growls low in his throat. I see the old lady from the Rabbit several people ahead of us in the line. I put a restraining hand on his arm and frown. He frowns back. 

*Jeez, it's an old lady! Leave 'er alone.* 

*Grr!* 

*Don't 'grr' at me. 'Grr' at him.* 

As requested, Creed turns around and growls at a passing employee. People near us are starting to carefully lean back and eye us with concern. The employee, a manager from the look of his name-tag, starts sweating. "I-Is there something I can do for you, sir?" 

Creed leans over and puts an arm around the rapidly paling 'Bert'. "For me? Nah. For my girlfriend over here, yeah." 

***GIRLFRIEND!?*** 

Creed winces at my mental shriek. *I'd say kid, but you're a little on the Chinese side. I don't think he'd believe me.* 

Mentally chanting, 'ew, ew, ew,' I turn a smile on the man. "You'll, like, help us? For sure?" 

Creed winces again, this time at the thickened Calie-girl accent. Manager Bert glances at the people around us. "Well, uh... There is a line-" Bert trails off with wide eyes as Creed starts to growl louder. The people around us take an actual step (or three) back. Bert looks as though he would have too, if Creed hadn't had him pinned in place. "That is, what I meant to say was, right this way." 

Bert leads us to a little desk with his name and a computer. The people in the line breathe a sigh of relief and fill in the gap we left behind. Having Vic around sure is handy. "So what can I do for you, Miss...?" 

"Tran. Julie Tran." I smile at him, trying to put as much 'empty-headed' into it as I can, and offer him my hand. He glances at Creed as if for approval, then takes my hand into his own slightly damp one. "I need to, like, totally pull some money out of, like, my account." 

Bert nods and starts typing on his keyboard. "How much would you like today?" 

I put on my most 'vacant' look. "Like, uh... Six thousand? Yeah, six thou, like, sounds hella good." 

Bert's probably used to dealing with airheads with money because he doesn't even blink. "Do you have your bank card?" 

I giggle and wave my hand at him. "Like, duh dude!" I get my wallet and hand him the card. 

He slides the card through the scanner and hands me the keypad. "Please type in your password." Now that he's doing business, he seems more or less competent. 

Shit, Frost didn't tell me what the key-code is. I exaggerate a frown and add just a touch of a pout. "Vi-iiiiic! I think I, like, forgot my code!" 

Creed shifts in his chair with an intensely pissed off look. Bert eyes him nervously. 

Wait, if I were Frost and I needed a memorable number... "Hmm, maybe it's..." I type in Ev's death date and it goes through. 'Thanks Em. Remind me to send a basket of fruits or somethin'.' I squeal with delight and beam as though I just accomplished something major. Creed rolls his eyes but Bert looks relieved. 

"Okay, this says you've got plenty to cover it. What denomination would you like?" 

I wrinkle my nose in feined confusion. "Like, huh?" 

Creed growls threateningly. "Hundreds. Give it to her in hundreds, six bundles." 

Bert hurries away, anxious to have our business concluded. 

*Do you normally scare the locals like this?* 

Creed blinks at me. *Just tryin' ta start off on the right foot. I know where they stand and they know that if they piss me off, they won't have legs to stand on.* 

I snort but turn my attention back to a returning Bert. He's here much more quickly than I would have thought possible. "Here you go, Miss Tran. Would you like a bank statement?" 

I give him my best wide smile, my face actually starting to hurt. 'Like, for sure!" I see Creed flinch out of the corner of my eye. Hah. 

Bert hands me my money, bank card, and statement with obvious relief, then says goodbye. I stuff everything into my mini-pack and stand. Creed leads us both out of the lobby and into the parking lot. 

When we get to the van, we both sigh. Creed pulls out his key and opens the trunk. 

**~*~**

We're almost back at the house when shock reverberates through the link, followed by what I assume to be French curses. 

*Ash? You okay over there?* 

*Give us five minutes,* Creed interrupts. *We're almost back. Peter? Kora? Check on him!* 

*I'm here, but I can't believe what I'm seeing.* Peter sounds shocky. 

*Show us!* I'm holding onto the armrest, almost ready to have cardiac arrest. 

I get an image of the upstairs hallway bathed in late afternoon light. Standing in the middle of that soft golden glow is Ash, staring down at himself in wonder. *What the hell...?* 

*Does it hurt?* Through Peter's eyes, we see Kore slip closer to Ash to inspect him. 

Ash blinks at Kore with wide eyes as Vic and I pull into the driveway. *My skin itches, but it doesn't burn like it should. ...My kind are what the Executioner termed 'highly flammable.' I should be dust by now.* 

Creed and I run up the stairs, stopping only when we see Ash. Creed starts sniffing the air as we get closer. *There's a burnt smell.* 

I sniff the air along with Peter and Kore. We all shake our heads negative. *I don't smell nothin'.* 

Creed snorts down at me. *I got a better nose than you, brat.* 

I open my mouth to make a comment about the 'brat' remark, but Kore interrupts. *It sounds like he's still burning, but he's just healing at a faster rate.* We all turn to blink at Kore. She blinks back, looking as clueless as ever. *What? Did I say something stupid?* 

Peter shakes his head, giving Kore an odd look. *No, that makes quite a bit of sense. I heal from low-grade burns fairly easily.* 

*And I heal 'em quick. The only problem might be prolonged exposure. My healing can take quite a bit, but constant use would require some rest period.* Creed steps in front of Ash, shading him from the more direct beams of sunlight. Ash visibly relaxes. 

*I hadn't even realized what happened until I got to the end of the hallway and thought, 'What a beautiful day.'* Ash holds a hand in the light, staring at it as though unsure if it really belongs to him. 

*We should probably find out how long you can comfortably withstand that.* Peter too is staring. 

*And how much you can withstand period.* Kore turns to me, her expression clearly questioning. *He'll need to know what his absolute limits are. I know Vic an' I are constantly running into things requiring us to go above and beyond what we originally believe we can do. I wouldn't be surprised if Ash and Peter have too.* 

Creed gives a savage kind of a grin. *Wolverine, Phalanx, all of the X-Men after I gutted Psylocke.* 

I return with a nod. *Bastion, Emplate, you.* 

Creed snorts at me. 

In response to Peter's raised eyebrow, I give a Mona Lisa smile.

**~*~**

At six-thirty, I head out. I'm in loose baggy jeans, tank top, sneakers, and a backpack. The backpack carries a leather jacket Logan once gave me for the rides we use to take on his scoot, the money from earlier, and a pair of gloves. The sun's almost set so I start jogging down the street. 

Our closest new neighbor is apparently the house I'm looking for, I realize as I check out the address I had jotted down the night before. The gate out front is locked, so I press on the intercom. 

"Yes?" 

"Hi, I'm Julie. Cash told me to come around seven?" 

"One moment." There's silence, then a click as the gate unlatches. "Proceed to the front door and await further instructions." Whoa, way weird. 

I go up to the main entrance and knock. It opens to reveal a girl, maybe my age, with long curly hair and really big dark eyes. If she hadn't been dressed in almost complete leathers, I bet she would have looked like a porcelain doll. 

"I'm Sasha. You are?" 

I offer my hand out. "Julie Tran." She stares at my hand as though I had spit in it. 

"You're looking for Cash?" When I nod, she gives me the once over. I drop my hand. "Well he's not-" 

"Hey, Sasha." A cute guy in tight jeans and moussed up hair bounds down the stairs. The guy looks me over and, in a familiar voice, asks me, "Are you Julie?" 

"Yup. Cash?" He grins and offers me his hand. I accept it with a similar smile. 

"Great. Sorry I didn't get to greet you in. I was in a meeting." Sasha's watching Cash and I with narrowed eyes, although I doubt Cash noticed. 

"Not a problem. I just hope I wasn't too early. I didn't want to get caught in the dark with no idea where I was going." 

He glances around behind me. "Did someone drive you here or did you catch a taxi?" 

I grin again, a toothier smile. "I jogged over." I laugh at his skeptical expression. "I'm your new neighbor. Just moved in to the half-circle house last night." 

"Well la-dee-da. Aren't we the lucky ones?" Sasha's giving me a dirty look, her face pulled into a pinched expression. 

"Yes, you are." I give her a bright smile and answer her in frank, if somewhat condescending, tones. 

Cash glances between us, opens his mouth to speak, and gets interrupted. "Sasha, Cash. Is there something wrong?" 

They both turn toward the voice of a man calmly walking downstairs. "No, sir." Cash motions to me. "This is our new neighbor, just moved into Katherine's place." 

"I see." The dark, lithe man walks over to us, his stride akin to that of a predator. He's dressed in very expensive clothes with dark, slicked back hair and two different colored eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Julian Luna and this is my home." 

When he offers me his hand, I pause only momentarily before shaking it. He doesn't look it, but he feels dangerous. "Julie Tran, just call me Jae. Nice place." 

He smiles, a charming smile meant to be calming. Because I could tell it was meant to be calming, it only agitated me further. "Thank you. What brings you by, Jae?" 

"She's here for that bike I'm selling, Julian." Cash speaks up again, but Sasha glares another dagger at me. 

"The Sportster? Ah." Julian smiles to both Cash and I. "Well, good luck on your business." He then turns to Sasha and offers her an arm. "Would you like to go to the Haven with me and Lillie tonight?" 

Sasha gives him a bright smile, the expression much prettier on her than the hostility. "Sure, Uncle Julian. Just let me get changed." She grabs onto his arm and they both start for the staircase. 

Both pause to look back at Cash and I, Julian saying, "It was nice to meet you, Jae. Feel free to come back soon." Sasha just glares over her shoulder at me. 

When they're finally gone, Cash turns to me with a small huff. "Sorry 'bout that. Sasha's been a little prickly lately. Come on, the bike's in the garage." 

I refrain from commenting about Sasha and follow quietly behind instead. Well, almost quietly. "So what's your deal? You don't strike me as the mansion type." 

Cash grins over his shoulder. "What? I changed the shirt this morning and everything!" He smoothes his hands over the Iggy Pop shirt that's probably seen better days. "Actually, Julian's my employer. Head of security around here." 

I try to reconcile my image of this grubby twenty year old kid and Bishop with his big-ass guns. "He some big-money head cheese?" 

Cash nods his head. "Yeah, he's a pretty enterprising business man. Got his fingers in a lot of pies, as it were. Here we go." Cash opens a door to the garage and leads me in. Fuck me if there wasn't at least fifteen bikes in there. Looking to the other half of the garage, I see cars. Tons and tons of cars. More cars than Creed could shake a stick at. Jeez. 

When I see the bike, I know it's mine. Cash leads me over to it with a slight grin. If I weren't so awestruck by the bike, I'd have made a smart-ass comment. As it is, I just kind of finger a handle bar and whimper. Cash actually laughs at that. "I've been cleaning her up for awhile. Pretty nice, huh?" 

Nice, he says. Nice! It's a Harley XLH Sportster 883! It's not nice, it's a thing of beauty! A cobalt blue purring machine! I think I whimper again. 

He dangles a key in front of my face only to have it grabbed and me on the bike before he can blink. "Whoa. Um, you need a helmet?" 

Fuck. Helmet laws. I nod while focusing on putting the key in the ignition. Cash shakes his head and moves to a wall with helmets, grabs one, and hands it to me. I put it on and start as Cash hops on behind me, his hands tightening the straps to his own half-helmet. 

I pull my backpack in front of me, take out the leather jacket and gloves, then put them on. The backpack is securely shut and put back onto my shoulders. I give Cash a feral grin, turn the ignition on, and let her rip. 

**~*~**

By the time I pull back into Luna's driveway, I'm purring almost as much as the Sportster. 

Cash jumps off the back of the bike with a wild laugh. "Christ, I didn't know I'd be driving with a suicidal maniac." 

I stay on the bike, comfortable as can be. "I'm hardly suicidal. I can drive a lot of things and I only crashed one. It wasn't even my fault! Damn jet, you'd think someone would put better brakes on those suckers." I grin, totally aware that Cash doesn't't believe me for a moment. 

"Those turns you took almost had me flying off the back of the bike, and I've been on bikes since before I could talk." Cash doesn't look too angry, actually. More like he had a good time and just wanted to tease me about it. 

"It's a great machine, Cash." I lean over the tank with a grin. "I promise ta treat her well." 

Cash snorts and nods. "Seeing you on this thing probably just solidified the deal. You'd be good for her. she definitely won't want for fun." 

"Nope. Always busy in my neck of the woods. Always some place to go and someone to do." 

Cash laughs at my too innocent smile. "Let's make it $5600. If I had gone with the lace wheels, then it would have been more. That's with California emission's quality approval, the extra money for the pearl affect of the paint, and tax. That sound fair to you?" 

I nod happily and pull off my backpack. "Can I get a receipt for this thing? And maybe a helmet too?"

**~*~**

For a view of Jubilee's new motorcycle, visit here. It's the right color and everything! 

http://www.harley-davidson.com/products/motorcycles/1999/sportster/img/xl883_lg.jpg


End file.
